Southern Mississippi hires Ladner as basketball coach

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — Southern Mississippi has hired Jay Ladner as its basketball coach.

Ladner has been the coach at Southeastern Louisiana the past five years and led the Lions to a Southland Conference regular-season title in 2018.

Ladner was an accomplished high school coach in Mississippi before moving into college coaching in 2012. He graduated from Southern Miss in 1988 and played on the school’s NIT championship team in 1987.

Under Ladner’s leadership, Southeastern Louisiana improved four straight years, earning 9, 12, 16 and then 22 wins. The Lions were 17-16 in his final season, including 12-6 in the Southland.

Ladner takes over a Southern Miss program that finished with a 20-13 record last season, including an 11-7 mark in Conference USA.